


Don't Mess With the Kid

by dyingpoet



Category: Newsies (1992), Newsies - All Media Types
Genre: Author Is Sleep Deprived, Brotherly Affection, Brotherly Bonding, Canon Era, Canon-Typical Violence, Character Study, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Protective Older Brothers, Slice of Life, i wrote this all between the hours of 10pm and 3am im dying
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-30
Updated: 2020-06-30
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:14:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24995215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dyingpoet/pseuds/dyingpoet
Summary: Davey and his family go out of town for a week and leave Les with Jack and the newsies. Honestly it could've gone worse.
Relationships: David Jacobs/Jack Kelly, Les Jacobs & Jack Kelly, Spot Conlon/Racetrack Higgins
Comments: 20
Kudos: 142





	Don't Mess With the Kid

**Author's Note:**

> I love!!! Brotherly newsies!!! So much!!! That I wrote this in one sitting for my own self indulgence!!! Enjoy!!!

“It’d just be for a week, maybe even five or six days, just until we can all get back after everything calms down.”

The way Davey was talking you’d think he was pulling teeth to try and get Jack onboard with watching the kid. The kid, who’d been playing go-fish with Kloppman for the last ten minutes, making faces whenever Davey said anything about him, didn’t seem the least bit worried. Jack figured Davey probably worried enough for their whole family, plus the newsies now. 

“Dave, hey.” Jack finally stepped in before Davey gave himself a conniption and clapped a hand on his shoulder. “You don’t gotta give me the run around. You know I’ll watch the kid for ya, ain’t no big deal.”

Les looked up from his cards at that and smiled when Jack shot him a wink. Davey on the other hand was still shifting from foot to foot; he had Les’ backpack in one hand and Jack snatched it.

“You’se gonna get your face stuck like that if ya don’t cut it out,” Jack chided, and he felt a spark of warmth when Davey relaxed a little and gave him the usual long suffering look. “Les’ll be _fine_. I’ll keep ‘im sellin’ with me all week, an’-an’ with me or one’a the boys at night alright? Just go take care of ya family, you ain’t got nothin’ ta worry about with the kid.”

“Yeah.”

Les hopped off his seat across from Kloppman and went to stand by Jack’s side. At first Jack had been worried about Les freaking out having to stay at lodging without Davey for a week; their aunt in Chicago died and their whole family decided to go down and help out with the funeral. Paying to get Les there, plus having to watch him the whole time was just too much, and after a few days of begging Davey’d managed to get his parents to agree to let Les stay at lodging with the boys. 

Jack had a feeling Davey was more nervous about it than the kid. 

“Yeah listen to ya brother here,” Jack said, ruffling Les’ hair and shoving him to the side a little. The kid giggled and Davey let out a sigh that Jack knew meant he won. “I bet by the time you get back you’ll be beggin’ to keep him 'ere.”

Davey let out a laugh and Jack mocked him, taking the opportunity to wrap an arm around his shoulders and start walking him out. If it got too much darker he’d need somebody to go with him. “‘Kay well, say ya goodbyes, maybe give me one a little different than the one ya give Les-”

He got a sharp kick to the shin for that, but managed to sneak in a kiss too, letting out a whine when he moved his hands to the back of Davey’s neck and got shoved back. “You’se boring, Jacobs.”

“Smart’s the word you’re looking for,” Davey shot back, although he was blushing and fighting back a smile. “‘Sides, I gotta give you somethin’ to look forward to for when I get back, huh?”

Jack gaped and Davey smirked as he walked away towards Les. “That’s cruel, Davey, really.”

Davey ignored him, kneeling down and hugging Les, saying goodbye more times than anybody needed to hear it, but it sent a pang through Jack’s chest anyway. He shook it off by the time the older Jacobs headed for the door. 

“See ya Jack, thanks again.”

He turned for the door and Jack grabbed him around the bicep and swung him back around, getting one last kiss, a _good_ kiss, the kind that Davey had to take a few steps back to keep from falling over from, before he finally let him go. “Don’t forget ‘bout us and go runnin’ off with some Chicago fella, ya hear?”

“I’ll try my best.”

Jack gave him one last shove on his way out and turned back to Les. Truth be told, he was sort of excited to get to watch the kid. They hadn’t had any littles around in a while, which probably was for the best, less orphans and all, but it was still fun for all of them to mess around with the kids. Reminded them _they_ were still kids, even if it didn’t feel much like it.

“You tired yet, kid?”

Les shook his head no but yawned a second after. Jack chuckled and swooped down to toss him over his shoulder and head up the stairs, bouncing as he did. “Save the lyin’ for working hours, it’s past ya bedtime anyhow.”

“I don’t got a bedtime,” Les whined, broken up with laughter when Jack got to the top of the stairs and swung him around. “Lemme down, ‘m gettin’ all dizzy.”

Jack dropped Les down and turned his head when Race called his name. They had a card game set up and Jack walked over with Les trailing. 

“Hey Jackie, kid stayin’ over?”

Jack went to answer Race when the rest of the guys caught wind and started talking all at once.

“Yeah where’s Mouth at?”

“He eat yet? Albert go grab the kid somethin’-”

“I dunno where he’s sleepin’ ‘cause I’se already two to a bed with Blink.”

Jack grabbed Les under the arms and put him between himself and Race at the bench by the table. “Hey shut up will ya? Dave’s gone outta town for a week and we’se watchin’ Les here.”

There was a chorus of murmurs and agreements and the game started up again. Les was frowning at Race’s hand and the older wrapped an arm around his shoulder and tugged him closer, putting his hand in front of them both. “Wanna learn how to play real cards? None of that go-fish crap yer older brother’s got ya on?”

Les nodded enthusiastically and Race grinned, leaning in to whisper in the younger’s ear and stopping when he felt Jack looking over his shoulder. He shoved at his shoulder and curled in on his hand protectively. “No lookin’ cowboy, I’m tryna teach this kid honest gamblin’.”

“Didn’t know you knew that kinda gamblin’,” Jack shot back, getting a laugh across the table. “Hey, deal me in would ya Mush?”

The clock read a quarter past nine, not nearly late for any of them, but Jack figured he’d have the kid in bed before eleven. That was still probably later than Davey’d let him stay up, but he’d be bunking with Jack since space was tight and that was still early for him. 

“You’re up, Jack.”

He tossed a few cigarettes they were using for chips into the pot in the middle of the table. “Raise ya two sticks.”

“Woah, big man over here.”

“Yeah, ain’t nobody taught ya ‘bout bluffin’ cowboy?”

Jack waved them off and the turn went to Specs on his left. On his right Race was talking to Les, who was looking very seriously at the cars by Race’s chest. 

“See, ya don’t wanna do what Jackie there just did, ‘cause now everybody knows he’s got a good hand, ya know? Ya gotta bait ‘em, make ‘em think you don’t got nothin’ ‘til the very end.”

If Race wouldn’t’ve slugged him Jack would’ve called it cute. The turn went back to Mush dealing and Jack focused back in on the game.

* * *

They didn’t end up getting to bed until around midnight, and Jack carried a still half asleep Les on his back all the way to distribution. He only set him down once the Delancy’s walked up, and the rest of the boys crowded around them both, hanging off each other and blowing smoke in the pair's faces. 

“You pickin’ up runts now, Kelly?” 

Oscar sneered down at Les and Jack moved to stand in front of him, Albert and Elmer taking a few steps forward too. “Not unless you’se lookin’ for a job, Oscar. ‘Cept we don’t hire nobody that ugly, bad for business y’know?”

There was a peal of laughter and Morris took a step forward, Jack meeting him and shoving him back. “Why don’t you two go off and kiss Weasel’s shoes or whatever the hell he’s got ya doin’ ta get paid.”

They both glared and cussed Jack out low, under their breath, but stalked off all the same. When Jack turned back Albert was already throwing fake punches with Les and moving him toward the front of the line.

“Now what’re you gonna do when Morris comes afta ya?”

Les swung out a right hook and Albert caught it. “Soak ‘em!”

“Atta boy, Les,” Albert praised, catching Jack’s raised eyebrows and giving one right back. “Gotta start ‘em off young, Jack.”

“Shoulda done that with you, maybe you’da learned how to block a punch by now.” Jack grinned and took Les with him when Albert shoved him forward. “C’mon kid, let’s buy.”

He bought an extra ten papes, the kid really was a selling magnet, and leafed off a good couple and handed them down to Les once they started walking out. Les went to take off forward and Jack caught him around the collar and tugged him back. “Slow down, would ya? Got the whole day. ‘Sides you gotta stay close or else your brother’s gonna have my head.”

“Davey won’t do nothin’ to you, he likes ya,” Les said, staring down at his papes and screwing his face up. “Hey what’s this say? Im-Immigr-gray-”

“Immigration,” Jack corrected, half smiling from the kid’s comment about David, “‘Immigration building catches fire, thousands of records destroyed’. Not a bad headline, we’se can work with it, can’t we?”

“Definitely,” Les replied, serious, and he looked up at Jack as he did. “Can I run off ahead? Some lady on the corner over there always gives me a nickel in the morning.”

“Yeah go ahead, kid.”

Les took off and Jack lit up a cigarette, coughing violently as a lady with a couple kids passed by. “Buy a pape ma’am? I ain’t-” he coughed again and the lady softened. “I ain’t got no food fer my little brother over there, we’se on our own.”

He jerked his head at Les, who was doing his best at looking pitiful himself, and when the lady put a hand on the little kid’s head next to her Jack knew he’d sold it. “Of course, take a nickel.”

Jack smiled gratefully and traded his paper for the coin, tipping his head at her. “Thank ya.”

She walked off and Les ran back, the few papers Jack had given him gone already. “Got the nickel?”

“Yeah, and a couple of other ladies heard me and bought the rest, gimme some more?”

“Here,” Jack passed him a good ten more and started tugging him down the street towards his usual spot. “You wanna be a sick orphan or a starvin’ orphan today?”

“Starvin’.”

“Perfect.” Jack chuckled and hoisted his stack back onto his shoulder. “Extra, extra! Government building ablaze! Hundreds’a taxpayer dollars lost!”

Les put his hand over his stomach and keeled over dramatically when a few people walked up and Jack fought to keep a smile back. The kid was a goldmine, he swore.

* * *

Jack took Les to Central Park after they were done selling to let him run around and tire himself out, so by the time they got back it was already dark. Race was walking up, Spot at his side, when the pair got to the door. “Hiya Race, Spot.”

Spot nodded evenly at Jack and spit in his hand, Jack following and they shook. “Good sellin’ day, Jackie-boy?”

“Great day. Good headline, starvin’ little brother.” He snatched Les’ cap off his head and tossed it to Race, playing keep-away with it while Les jumped in between them. “You stayin’ here tonight?”

“Looks like it,” Spot said and caught the cap in midair, tossing it back to Les. “Better watch yer stuff around this one,” he jerked his head at Race, “he’s got awfully sticky fingers.”

“Thanks,” Les breathed, heading for the door with the rest of them following. “Are we playin’ poker again, Race?”

“Not tonight, kid. Horses ran like shit today, my pockets ain’t feelin’ too good.”

Les nodded sagely while Spot and Jack rolled their eyes. “Thought we said no bettin’ on that side of the bridge, huh?”

“We said a lotta things, can’t expect me to remember all’a them,” Race said. “‘Sides I’se half Brooklyn, right, Spotty?”

Spot almost smiled and Jack looked between the two of them with a smirk. They’d been going together for a while now, under the radar sure, they weren’t looking to get killed, but Jack still got a laugh out of it now and then.

“More like a quarter, on a good day.”

“Quarter my ass,” Race said, whipping around to shove Spot and take off up the stairs with the Brooklyn leader a step behind him, nearly tripping over Les as they did. He stumbled back a little and Jack steadied him.

“Don’t mind them kid, they’se outta their minds.”

Les nodded and they both started up after the pair. “They like you an’ Davey?”

That took Jack aback a little, and he raised his eyebrows down at the kid. He didn’t peg him as the observant type. “What’s me and Davey like?”

“You know,” Les said, wrinkling his nose, “like Davey’s yer fella, is Spot Race’s?”

Jack stuttered for a second before laughing. “Think if ya asked Spot he’d say Race was _his_ fella, but I guess so.”

“I don’t ever wanna fella, girl either,” Les said in answer, shaking his head at the very idea. “Gross.”

“Give it a couple years, kid, might change ya mind.”

Les didn’t look convinced, but he wandered off once they got up to the bunkroom and found Crutchie to sit down next to. Jack caught Crutchie’s eye and gave him a nod. “Get some food fer you’se guys.”

Race and Spot were disappearing onto the fire escape and Jack grabbed them each a bowl of the stew Kloppman threw together and headed after them. 

“Move over fellas.” Jack handed them each a bowl and sat down next to Race after Spot glared for trying to get between them. “Hey how’s it really goin’ over the bridge Spot? Heard Queens’ been givin’ you’se guys some trouble.”

“Nothin’ we can’t handle, Jackie,” Spot answered cooly, ending the discussion. It was rare that Spot talked business with anybody, Jack even, unless he had to. “Hey, where’s the Walkin’ Mouth at? Ain’t he usually got the kid attached at the hip?”

Jack looked to Race for an answer but he was gulping down his dinner like it was going to get taken away; he made a mental note to make sure he wasn’t skipping too many meals. “Dave’s got some funeral in Chicago, aunt died or somethin’. Didn’t wanna pay to send Les down with ‘em so he’s with us for ‘bout a week.”

Spot nodded and Jack reached over to punch his shoulder. “Ya know he asked me ‘bout you two.”

Race choked on his stew and Spot looked over quick, a frown taking over his face with an edge to it. “Oh yeah? What he say?”

“He asked me if you was Racer’s fella,” Jack said, barely containing a laugh while Race didn’t even try. Spot scowled with no heat behind it; nobody really knew but Spot was a sucker for kids. If anybody else breathed a word about the two of them Spot would’ve soaked them on a dime. 

“What’d ya tell ‘im?”

“Said it was more like Race’s _your_ fella.”

That got Spot laughing and Race taking a swing at Jack. “Hey, what’re you in the business of ruinin’ reputations now, huh?”

Jack caught the punch and pulled Race into a headlock from behind, grinding his knuckles into the other’s hair until Race elbowed him right in the ribs and he backed off. Spot snatched the cigar from Race’s pocket in the scuffle and lit it up around a smile. 

“Nah just yers.”

“That’s real funny,” Race said as he staggered to a stand. He clapped Spot on the shoulder and nodded to the ladder up to the roof. “We’se cuttin’ out for the night.”

“Sleepin’ up there?”

Race nodded and took his cigar back after Spot took a puff. Jack gave him one last pat on the back on his way to the window. “Don’t make too much noise, you’ll wake the neighbors.”

“Yeah, yeah, worry ‘bout yaself, cowboy.”

Jack made his rounds making sure everybody got some food and were set for tomorrow’s selling day. It was going to start getting cold soon and everybody was already stocking up on jackets and scarfs, whatever they could knick from the Salvation Army bins without getting caught.

By the time he made it back to his bunk Les was already asleep; the park was a good idea. The whole lodge was settling down early though, and Jack didn’t ever really get caught up on his own sleep, so he moved Les over a bit and flopped down next to him. The kid didn’t even stir. From what Jack gathered he and Davey shared a bed, sometimes Sarah too if it got too cold in the winter, and he was used to being jostled around by now. 

“G’night, Jack.”

Mush passed by their bunk and yawned, both him and Blink mussing Les’ hair as they passed. “G’night, guys.”

Les moved closer to Jack in his sleep when the older finally got settled down and he vaguely remembered Davey saying he was like a kitten in his sleep. He didn’t mind none, and honestly it probably put him to sleep faster. Jack could take hours to settle down but he fell asleep almost right after he closed his eyes.

* * *

The day before Davey was due back Jack finally pawned Les off on someone else. Elmer had rough enough time selling on his own and Jack agreed to let him take the youngest Jacobs as long as he stayed close to Jack’s own route and checked in throughout the day. 

It seemed like a good enough plan until Les ran up to him near the end of day, out of breath and saying something about Elmer and the Delancy’s.

“Hiya, Jack.”

Jack kept a grip on Les’ collar as he rushed forward to meet Elmer. He’d gotten worked over, that was for sure. A split lip, bloody nose, and the beginning of a shiner was what he could gather right away, but from the way he was standing he could tell his ribs were probably bruised up bad. 

“The hell happened?” Jack snapped. A mix of panic and anger was forming in the pit of his stomach and his voice held firm. “The Delancy’s?”

Elmer nodded and winced when Jack let go of Les and hiked one of Elmer’s arms over his own shoulder and started walking them both back. “I’ll soak the bastards, El, Race an’ Albert too, dirty rotten sons’a-”

He cut off when Elmer nodded down at Les, trailing next to the two of them without a scratch out of him, thank god, but he looked shook up. One problem at a time. 

“What happened?” Jack asked, softening his voice if only for the kid. 

Elmer shrugged the best he could in his current position. “Ya know how they is, I didn’t do nothin’. They walked up while we was sellin’ and smacked down my papes in an alley, jumped me right afta.”

Jack bit back a string of curses and looked down at Les. “And you? They ain’t go after you did they?”

Les shook his head and looked at Elmer and then quickly to the ground. “No, Elmer told me ta run and I left, I’m real sorry ‘bout it, El.”

He did look sorry, more than he needed to, Elmer and Jack were both relieved he didn’t get skunked either. The littles always beat it whenever a scrap started, nobody expected or wanted them to take a hit. Kids didn’t get better as quick as the older boys. 

“You don’t gotta be sorry ‘bout nothin’, you hear me?” Jack spoke for Elmer, tapping on the kid’s head when he didn’t look up. “Hey, you got that? You’se don’t ever gotta fight nobody, there wasn’t nothin’ you could’a done but run.”

Les nodded, still not looking convinced when they got to the lodging house. About half the guys were smoking out by the door, and every one of them rushed forward, cigarette butts littering the street as the three of them staggered up.

“The hell happened?”

“The Delancy’s,” Elmer and Jack bit out at the same time and the boys went wild. 

“Sons’a bitches, I’ll soak ‘em.”

“They’se pickin’ on the nice guys, huh? I’ll show ‘em El, I really will-”

“Yeah guys let’s rush ‘em!”

There was a warcry from the group and Jack nodded in approval as Race, Albert, Blink, Mush, and Specs took off like a pack of dogs. “Bulls show up and you’se guys beat it, alright?”

They all threw out an agreement over their shoulders and were around the corner and out of sight just after. If Jack didn’t have a kid to patch up and another to keep from crying he’d be out there with them. Pick your battles. 

Jack and Skittery got Elmer up the stairs alright, and Jack went to work on him. He was right about the ribs, they were already turning black and blue, but nothing felt broken and he ended up wrapping them tight until Elmer told him he’d be breathing funny if he did anymore.

Les stood by and watched intently, picking at his nails as he did, a nervous habit Jack recognized from Davey that he must have picked up. Elmer ended up passing out almost as soon as Jack got done making sure nothing else needed tending too, a beating like that would knock anybody out, but Jack reminded himself to save the pissed off attitude until the next day at least. He still had one more problem. 

Running a hand through his hair, Jack sighed and looked down at Les, still staring at Elmer like he was a ghost. “C’mere kid.”

Les didn’t protest when Jack picked him up and walked him over to his bunk, setting him down and sitting cross legged in front of him. “You okay, kiddo?”

“Yeah,” Les replied quietly, not looking at Jack and bringing up his hand to chew at his fingernail.

Jack gently pulled his wrist away from his mouth and used the other hand to lift up his chin and look at the kid in the eyes. To his credit, Les wasn’t getting glassy eyed or anything, but he looked shook up still. Even the littles that grew up around fights used to get scared bad by them. Seeing the older guys get roughed up wasn’t good for them, but it happened. 

“Ya get scared? When Elmer got worked over?”

The kid nodded and shifted to draw his knees up to his chest. Jack dropped the grip on his chin and laid back against the bed frame, patting the bed next to him and Les crawled up to sit next to him. 

Jack slung an arm around his shoulders. “You don’t gotta be scared, the Delancy’s ain’t gonna be hasslin’ nobody for a long while afta tonight, and nothin’s gonna happen to you or ya brother, we’se all gonna make sure of it, yeah?”

He purposely left himself out of the statement; there wasn’t a chance in hell he wasn’t going to get in another scrap sooner or later. But Les didn’t have to know that.

“You remember when Oscar an’-an’ Morris tried ta beat up Davey? Me an’ Sarah were in the alley with ‘em.”

“Yeah, I do, and what happened, huh?” He jostled the younger around the shoulders a little. “Good ole cowboy showed up and fought ‘em off, ‘member that? We’se all look out fer each other ‘round here, kid. Ya don’t gotta get worked up over it.”

Les nodded and he seemed like he meant it more than before. Jack got up and pushed at the kid’s chest until he was laying down and threw their thin blanket over him. “Ya good to get some sleep? I gotta check up on the prize fighters out there.”

He jerked his head to the window and Les nodded, eyes already sliding shut. “Yeah, thanks Jack.”

“Don’t mention it kid, ‘specially to yer brother tomorrow.”

They both smiled a little at that and Jack gave Les a light punch on the shoulder as he left. Crutchie and Boots were about the only ones awake and left in lodging, and they gave an understanding nod when Jack looked from them to an already sleeping Les on the bed. 

He took the stairs down two at a time and almost ate the hardwood getting out the door. 

“Save a piece fer me, boys!”

* * *

Davey was swinging Les around in a hug the second he got through the door, and Jack looked on fondly when they broke apart and Les launched into all of the stuff they got into while Davey was gone. He left out the scrape with Elmer just like Jack told him to and he walked up behind the younger Jacobs and put both hands on his shoulders, smirking at Davey.

“Might hafta adopt the kid, Davey, I ain’t sold that good since Johnson County.”

“Afraid my momma might break down the door if you did,” Davey said, and they shared a look before Davey swung his pack off his shoulder and handed it to Les. “Look inside, I brought you back somethin’.”

Les ran with the bag, nearly stumbling over it, to the corner and started digging through it as soon as the words came out of Davey’s mouth, and they both breathed out a laugh watching him. 

“So he was okay? No problems or anything?”

Jack shrugged and rocked back on his heels. “Nope. He had a riot, and I did my best keepin’ him away from _most_ of the gamblin’.”

Davey rolled his eyes and Jack threw a look over at Les. He was pretty occupied with a toy plane Davey must’ve brought back from Chicago, and Jack turned back to Davey and smirked. “Kid’ll be busy with that fer a while, don’tcha think?”

“I guess,” Davey drawled, continued when Jack tilted his head at him. “That Chicago fella really might’ve got me off New York boys, though.”

He yelped when Jack grabbed his tie and started pulling him off to one of the rooms off through the hallway past Kloppman’s desk. “You’se real funny, Dave, anybody ever tell ya that?”

“Yeah, just about all’a the boys in Chicago, actually-”

“Shut it, Mouth.”

Jack shut the door behind the two of them and _boy_ was he happy Davey was back. 

**Author's Note:**

> heyyy that was a long one huh?? hope u enjoyed bc i rlly did while writing it :(
> 
> kudos/comments keep me Going so consider dropping one or hitting me up on tumblr @dying-poet if u liked this,, love yall <3


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